Celtic are targeting West Brom’s Rekeem Harper and Manchester City’s Brandon Barker this summer but other names linked with the club are wide of the mark, according to journalist Darren Cooney.
The Daily Record reporter, speaking on the newspaper’s Record Celtic Podcast (12/06, 10:00) claims that along with David Turnbull, who Motherwell have confirmed to have agreed terms with Celtic over, the Hoops are definitely looking at bringing English pair Harper and Barker but that other names, such as Liam Moore, have been dismissed by the club.
Harper, a midfielder for West Brom, is out of contract at the Baggies this summer while City winger Barker sees his deal expire next year.
Opinion
It seems Celtic are willing to hedge their bets on bringing young, hungry and cheap signings to Parkhead this summer to try and make the difference and you can understand why that is the case. The Hoops have long been a club who have been required to sell their top stars for big money to reinvest into the squad and if they can get the likes of Harper on board, who has tremendous sell on value, they could profit quite significantly when he does eventually leave Glasgow. Of course it means trying to convince these young talents that a move north of the border, where the money will be nowhere near what is offered in England, is right for their careers but with regular playing time, which could include Champions League or Europa League action, and the potential of a league title and domestic cups, Neil Lennon might be able to make a convincing argument. It is an exciting prospect for the Bhoys – the focus now has to be on making sure they get these deals over the line.